Industry and public interest leaders--probably still not cooled off after the Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA)-NBC Universal merger--are already lining up to fight AT&T's (NYSE: T) proposed purchased of T-Mobile USA.
Leading the way, of course, is Sprint (NYSE: S), the nation's third largest mobile carrier, which would be dwarfed and left potentially irrelevant by AT&T/T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
"I have concerns that it would stifle innovation and put too much power in the hands of two," said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse during a talk at CTIA Wireless this week. He was, of course, talking about AT&T/T-Mobile, not Comcast-NBC Universal.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski reacted with a bit less flamboyance, as might be expected, declining to talk about the specifics of the deal during his moment in the CTIA spotlight.
Among those surprisingly not opposed is Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead who said he not only didn't oppose the deal but wasn't interested in acquiring Sprint. "We don't need them," he said during an impromptu interview with Reuters.
For more:
- The Hill has this story
- and this story
- and the Wall Street Journal this post
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